20 Second Timeout

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Friday, July 09, 2010

LeBron James Abandons Cleveland, Creates Power Trio in Miami

The 2010 NBA free agency circus--headlined by LeBron James' narcissistic power plays and publicity stunts--climaxed on Thursday night when James commandeered ESPN's airwaves for one hour to stab a sharp, rusty stake right through the hearts of Cleveland sports fans by proudly declaring that he will sign with the Miami Heat. For seven years, the Cleveland Cavaliers' organization bent over backwards to cater to James' every whim, the Cleveland media showered him with unending praise and the team's fans cheered his every move while also literally begging him to return their unwavering affection by re-signing with the team. James responded by leaving without even saying goodbye, fleeing Northeast Ohio at night for the comforts of a Connecticut TV studio and not even having the common courtesy to bother to make a phone call to Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert.

It is already quite obvious that the coverage of this over the top drama will be very parochial in nature: for instance, in Cleveland this will be framed as a story about betrayal while in Miami this will be depicted as a story about LeBron James joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The larger story that is seemingly getting lost in the hype is that Pat Riley outsmarted everybody else so completely that he looks like Bobby Fischer playing chess against a bunch of little children. While so many league executives, media members and fans speculated about what LeBron James really wants, Riley not only figured it out but delivered it on a silver platter: Riley realized that anywhere James goes he will get paid big bucks and he will be able to be a "global icon" (even if that nebulous term has never been precisely defined) but the one opportunity that James could not readily obtain was the chance to play with other All-Stars who are also in their primes.

Riley handled this entire process masterfully; after Wade refused to sign a long term contract extension in 2006 but later griped that he did not have enough help Riley essentially said "If you are not going to commit to this franchise long term then just shut up and play and I'll build the team how I see fit." Riley made it clear that until Wade committed to the Heat that the Heat would keep their options open, including going after max level free agents if Wade decided to bolt; so, Wade kept his mouth shut, led the Heat to the playoffs and then decided to help Riley recruit top players to come to Miami.

I don't think that anyone anticipated that Riley would be able to clear up so much salary cap space that he could not only re-sign Wade but also bring in two other max level players. It seems unlikely that a team can win a championship with three stars and nine minimum salary players but even if the Heat do not win a title this year Riley has assembled an impressive troika to build around for upcoming seasons--and if Riley and his super trio can entice a few aging but still capable veterans to come to Miami on the cheap in order to try to get rings then the Heat will be a viable championship contender very quickly. It must be added that if James, Wade and Bosh truly teamed up with winning--and not making max money--as their top goal then they could greatly accelerate the process of creating a powerful team by agreeing to sign for $10 million or $12 million per year instead of $16 million per year; the millions of dollars that the Heat save would enable them to sign some players for more than the league minimum--and I suspect that James, Wade and Bosh could figure out some way to get by on "just" $10 million per year.

Most observers considered James, Wade and Bosh to be the three most desirable free agents--and Riley swooped up all of them!

Meanwhile, many of the remaining top players quietly re-signed with their original teams, leaving relative table scraps for teams like the Knicks and Nets, franchises that tanked--I mean, strategically positioned themselves--in order to theoretically woo one or more of the top tier free agents to the New York metropolitan area.

I never for one moment believed that James would go to New York. The Knicks are the clowns of the free agency circus: for several years they have been ripping off their fans by selling an inferior product packaged with the promise that LeBron James' dream is to play in the "Mecca" of pro basketball. Two seasons ago, I pointed out that the Knicks had not improved during the early part of the Mike D'Antoni era and that there was little reason to expect that they would get better any time soon; my "reward" for speaking the truth was to get trashed by Knick fans and an associate economics professor from the middle of nowhere who moonlights as a "stat guru"--but everything that I have been saying about the Knicks has been proven to be correct: they were even worse in 2010 than they were in 2009 and all the Knicks have to show for their "efforts" is Amare Stoudemire, who they will now overpay to replace David Lee, a more versatile and productive player who is also healthier and younger. New York fans--and especially the season ticket holders--have a right to be puzzled, if not outraged, at the rudderless mess their franchise has become.

Chicago Bulls' supporters seem baffled that James apparently does not consider their squad to be a dynasty in the making but I have to concur with James on that count; the Bulls have a rookie head coach, they do not have a defined style of play and I think that their roster looks better on paper than it will perform on the court. Why would James leave the Cavs to make, at best, a lateral move?

The entire city of Cleveland feels betrayed by James and this collective civic pain is only exceeded--at least in the context of sports--by Art Modell's shameful abandonment of the loyal, long suffering Cleveland Browns' fans.

James' handling of the free agency process was clumsy and tone deaf, betraying an alarming amount of hubris plus a total disregard for the feelings of anyone who is not a member of his "team"--and it is critically important to note that whenever James uses that word he means his buddies/cronies/hangers-on, not the actual team that employs him to play basketball (and not quit in playoff games).

Gilbert promptly responded to James' announcement with a scathing letter blasting James for "a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his 'decision' unlike anything ever 'witnessed' in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment." Gilbert termed James' action a "cowardly betrayal." In an interview with the Associated Press, Gilbert added, "He quit (versus Boston in the 2010 playoffs). Not just in Game 5, but in Games 2, 4 and 6. Watch the tape. The Boston series was unlike anything in the history of sports for a superstar." Gilbert also alleged that James quit in game six versus Orlando in the 2009 playoffs. Gilbert's comments are blunt and harsh but they are also true: you don't have to be a basketball expert to realize how disinterested James seemed versus Boston--particularly in game two and game five--and James' performance versus Orlando in game six of the 2009 playoffs was, at the very least, curiously passive. While Gilbert's accusations have much merit, I wonder if he ever confronted James regarding James' subpar playoff efforts and I also wonder why Gilbert fired Coach Mike Brown if Gilbert had such a clear understanding of just how much blame James must shoulder for the Cavs' disappointing 2009 and 2010 playoff runs. In retrospect, Gilbert should have dealt with James the way that Riley dealt with Wade, insisting that if James did not fully commit to the Cavs then the Cavs would not make short term moves to appease James at the possible expense of long term salary cap flexibility--but it is not really fair to blame Gilbert for rolling the dice and trying to win immediately, especially when one of the main reasons that the Cavs did not win is that James quit during the 2010 playoffs.

Gilbert's letter concluded by boldly stating that the Cavs would win a championship before James does; that may sound like wishful thinking but keep in mind that even though the Cavs' teams that Gilbert assembled lacked the star power that the Heat currently have they still managed to make it to the NBA Finals in 2007 and to post 60-plus wins in both 2009 and 2010. If the Heat experience injuries and/or chemistry problems it is not at all out of the realm of possibility that James will never again have as much team success as he enjoyed with the Cavs from 2007-2010; NBA Finals appearances and 60-win seasons are very hard to come by and it would not surprise me if a decade from now we look back at the 2010 season as James' great missed opportunity to win a championship.

It is quite predictable that True Hoop's Henry Abbott finds Gilbert's heartfelt letter more offensive than James' conduct; Abbott is a shill for ESPN--which sold out whatever remained of their journalistic integrity by caving in to every whim of James and his "team" regarding the one hour TV special about "The Decision"--and Abbott is much less interested in truth than he is in superficial appearances: Gilbert spoke the truth about how James quit during the playoffs and about James' deplorable recent conduct but James donated ESPN's ad money from the one hour LeBron infomercial to children, so in Abbott's eyes James must be the better guy. I think that it is great that James facilitated a process to help underprivileged children but that charitable act--done with other people's money, by the way--in no way mitigates or excuses how James handled the free agency process, jerking whole cities around as if they are mere playthings that exist for his amusement.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, James had every right to explore his options; the mere act of leaving Cleveland is not a betrayal--and the decision to go to Miami to team up with Wade and Bosh is logical, though James could also have contended for championships by staying in Cleveland--but the way that James maximized Cleveland's humiliation was cruel and unnecessary. It is actually quite remarkable how James has managed to essentially alienate virtually every NBA city other than Miami. If James had cut out all of the hoopla and just issued a simple press release a week ago thanking Cleveland for seven great years but saying that the prospect of playing with Wade and Bosh is too good to pass up I doubt that James would be experiencing a fraction of the backlash that he is getting now and will continue to receive for the foreseeable future.

Not long ago, James was almost universally popular and his easygoing demeanor was compared favorably with Kobe Bryant's dour facial expressions and hard driving manner. James' conduct does not change my opinion of him as a player--he is the most athletic and productive regular season performer in the NBA, while Bryant is more skilled and has a more finely tuned sense of how to be effective against elite teams--but it is amusing to watch and listen as the talking heads in Cleveland who used to laud James as being far superior to Bryant now openly mock James and say that he will never match Bryant's accomplishments; just as it was wrong to rank James ahead of Bryant purely out of home town bias it is also wrong to now downgrade James' skills just because he lacks a certain class and grace in terms of how he has handled himself: depending on Bryant's health/durability, James will still be either the best or second best player in the NBA next season, though there is good reason to suspect that Bryant will once again be the more effective playoff performer.

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

What Have We Learned During "LeBron-a-Palooza"?

Our long national nightmare is almost over; LeBron James and his infamous "team" have successfully commandeered the airwaves at ESPN to use a one hour time slot starting at 9 p.m. to announce which franchise will have the privilege of paying James tens of millions of dollars in the hope that in his spare time when he is not becoming a "global icon" that he may finally win an NBA championship.

My newest CavsNews.com article examines how James has orchestrated this three ring circus and explains what his Thursday announcement will reveal about his true priorities (7/10/15 edit: the link to CavsNews.com no longer works, so I have posted the original article below):

Until the 2010 Eastern Conference semifinal series between Boston and
Cleveland, I had always been very impressed not only with LeBron
James' obvious athletic gifts but also with his work ethic and the way
that he seemed to be mature beyond his years. James seemed to "get it": James avoided off court trouble, did not disrespect his coaches
and teammates and he worked very hard to improve his main skill set
weaknesses (defense, perimeter shooting, free throw shooting). James
evolved from an All-Star to one of the league's five best players to
someone who was almost Kobe Bryant's equal to someone who surpassed
Bryant in terms of regular season productivity/consistency.

My perception of James shifted after game two of the Boston series: the Cavs lost 104-86 at home and James looked lifeless for most of the contest,
though he made his boxscore numbers somewhat respectable with a late
scoring burst during garbage time. Anyone can have a bad game, but
things really got weird during the postgame press conferences when Coach
Mike Brown came out ranting, raving and (literally) cussing about how
poor the team's effort was only to have James follow him to the podium
and act as if nothing was wrong. In my game recap I wrote:

Are Brown and James playing "good cop, bad cop" with the
other Cavs? Or is Brown’s message about the team’s lack of intensity
simply not resonating with James and the other players? We will not know
the answer to that question until we see what happens in game three. It
is incumbent on James to not only put up big numbers in that contest
but to also play with a sense of commitment and intensity that
commands/inspires his teammates to likewise display energy, focus and
passion. Kobe Bryant is often criticized for harshly calling out his
teammates but his leadership style has a proven track record of success:
three championships won alongside O’Neal (when Bryant’s burning desire
and work ethic provided a necessary contrast to O’Neal’s more laid-back
approach) plus a Finals appearance in 2008 and a championship in 2009.
If the combination of James’ calm demeanor and Brown’s demonstrable
anger drives the Cavs to victory in game three then that is all good–but
if the Cavs do not respond appropriately then there will be reason to
question if James’ casual response to the game two loss struck the right
tone.

James and the Cavs bounced back in game three but that only proved to be a temporary reprieve that was soon followed by a horrifically passive effort by James in game five;
James simply quit during that pivotal contest and there is no other way
to put it: this has nothing to do with numbers (though his numbers were
terrible, too) and everything to do with the total disinterest that he
displayed, simply giving up the ball and standing so far away from the
hoop that he did not even represent a viable threat. Though James put up
better numbers and seemed to try a little harder in game six, that contest ended disgracefully
as the Cleveland players literally quit en masse with the outcome still
potentially up for grabs: when no Cav bothered to commit a foul to
force the Celtics to make free throws to ice the game, ESPN's Mark
Jackson declared with disgust, "This smells to me of quitting. You’ve
given up." I cannot ever recall seeing a team just throw in the towel
near the end of an elimination game if the remotest possibility of
victory still existed--but James set the tone in game five and everyone
else followed his lead after that.

Despite all of the talk about James' mystery elbow ailment, MRI
tests revealed nothing more than a bruise and there is no indication
that James required any special treatment after the Cavs' season
prematurely ended; throughout the Boston series, James was tossing half
court shots before games with his "bad" elbow, so it is hard to
believe that he was experiencing a serious problem.

What do the preceding paragraphs have to do with James' much
anticipated upcoming announcement? Prior to the Boston series, I
believed that James was very focused on winning multiple championships
and I did not see any advantage that he could gain by leaving his
hometown team that could pay him more than any other team and that had
an owner who is willing to spend a lot of money, a general manager who
continually upgraded the roster's talent/depth and a defensive-minded
coach who had guided the team to the 2007 NBA Finals plus the best
regular season record in 2009 and 2010. Even though James clearly has
always loved attention and craved the idea of being courted by various
franchises, I had always thought that for all of the above reasons he
would re-sign with the Cavs and I repeatedly said that I thought that
James would be foolish to become Captain of the Gotham Titanic, the destination that so many broadcasters/journalists assumed/hoped that James would select.

After the Boston series, the Cavs made Coach Mike Brown and–to a
lesser extent–General Manager Danny Ferry the fall guys for the team's
failure to win a championship. James has no right to be disappointed
with the quality of the team's roster: it is known that he gave at
least tacit approval to the various transactions that Ferry made and it
is also obvious that Ferry had a figurative gun to his head precisely
because James did not sign a long term deal in order to create this free
agency frenzy this summer; Ferry had to try to put together a
championship caliber team on the fly instead of having the freedom to
develop young players who could assume larger roles over time. Ferry did
a remarkably good job of continuing to upgrade the roster despite the
deadline looming over his head.

Many people had assumed that none of the major free agent dominoes
would fall into place until James announced his decision but James will
actually be among the last of the top tier players to act because
Amare Stoudemire has already agreed to sign with the New York Knicks and
Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will be teaming up as members of the Miami
Heat. Wade and Bosh have both publicly said that they are willing to
sacrifice because their primary goal is to win multiple
championships; Bosh may be giving up $30 million or so to go to Miami
if Toronto does not agree to a sign and trade deal and both players may
end up reducing their scoring averages. Meanwhile, Stoudemire is
clearly trying to recruit James to come to New York and Stoudemire is
boasting that next summer he will be able to entice other star
players--most notably Tony Parker--to join the Knicks.

James has been conspicuously tightlipped about what his ultimate
goals are and/or what he would be willing to sacrifice to obtain those
goals but it is fascinating to consider what his decision will say about
him. The first and most obvious point regarding all of these players is
that it is difficult to take seriously any statement suggesting that
winning is the top priority: if that were the case, then each of these
guys would have been lining up to sign with the Lakers for the mid-level
exception. The Lakers have been to the Finals three straight times and
won back to back championships, so the addition of any top tier
guy would significantly boost the team's overall talent and depth, but
the reality is that all of these guys want to make max money or as
close to it as possible.

New Jersey Nets' owner Mikhail Prokhorov offered an insightful take
after meeting with James; Prokhorov speculated that James will not join
Wade and Bosh in Miami because even though the Heat could win two or
three titles in that scenario it would "damage LeBron James'
brand" to win championships as part of such a powerful trio.
Basically, Prokhorov is saying that James would rather win fewer or
nochampionships than to possibly be surrounded by so much talent that
his greatness will not be endlessly praised, as if Magic Johnson and
Larry Bird are somehow diminished because they each played with multiple
Hall of Famers.

By the way, I am not convinced that Wade and Bosh--or even James,
Wade and Bosh--will automatically make Miami the best team in the East,
let alone the NBA. Championship teams generally need not only two
legitimate stars but they also must have a supporting cast of solid role
players; the Lakers have little bench strength other than inconsistent
quasi-starter Lamar Odom but their starting lineup includes two
All-Stars (Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol) plus a former All-Star/Defensive
Player of the Year (Ron Artest), a solid center (Andrew Bynum) and a
wily, clutch veteran point guard (Derek Fisher). Miami's plan, at
least for next season, appears to be to surround two or three stars with
a bunch of minimum wage (by NBA standards) players--and that formula
may be good enough to win 55 games and a couple playoff series but it
will not work against championship level teams like the Lakers, Celtics
and Magic (or even the Cavaliers if James stays put).

Here are James' most likely options and what each choice would reveal about James' mindset:

5) New York Knicks: Even with the Stoudemire signing it still does
not make much sense for James to go to New York if his number one goal
is winning. The Knicks have absolutely no depth, plus Stoudemire is not
legitimately a max level talent and there is a very real risk that the
injuries to Stoudemire's knees and/or eyes will curtail his
effectiveness in the near future (that is why the Phoenix Suns did not
want to give him max money even though he played so well down the
stretch last season). Also, Coach Mike D'Antoni's preferred style of
high octane offense combined with tepid defense is not a championship
winning methodology. If James goes to New York then he is choosing
glitz, glamour and what he perceives to be potential marketing
opportunities over winning.

4) New Jersey Nets: The Nets had the league's worst record last
season, so even though they hired an excellent coach (Avery Johnson) and
even though their talent base is not quite as bad as their putrid
record suggests they still are clearly not a championship caliber team
even if James comes aboard. Prokhorov has vowed to make the Nets into a
championship team within five years and many people are wowed by his
huge personal fortune but it is important to remember that he amassed
his money in Russia by buying assets at depreciated prices in the wake
of the collapse of the Soviet Union--essentially, he profited from
insider deals because he formed alliances with powerful members of the
government. It is far from certain that the "talents" Prokhorov used
to become a billionaire are applicable toward building an NBA
championship team. If James signs with the Nets then he is saying that
his top priority is to leverage Prokhorov and Jay Z's visibility to
become a "global icon."

3) Chicago Bulls: The Bulls already have a nice nucleus in place with
Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer (who has said that he will sign with
Chicago), Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. New Coach Tom Thibodeau is a highly
regarded defensive-minded assistant coach who helped the Celtics to win
the 2008 title and reach the 2010 NBA Finals but he has never held a
head coaching job at the NBA level. Adding James would clearly make the
Bulls one of the top four teams in the East but it is doubtful that the
Bulls could beat the Celtics or Magic in a seven game playoff series if
those teams are at full strength. Chicago is a more likely destination
for James than New York or New Jersey if James' top priority is winning
but Chicago will not have the raw talent of the Bosh/Wade duo or the
deep roster that has propelled the Cavs to 60-plus wins for two straight
seasons.

2) Miami Heat: The Heat offer more star power than any of the other
options: Wade and Bosh are in place on the court, while Pat Riley is in
the front office (and could very well decide to take over the coaching
reigns, just as he did when Wade and Shaquille O'Neal led the Heat to
the 2006 championship). If they team up, James, Wade and Bosh will
surely say all of the right things about sacrificing and working
together but when things get tough who will want the ball in the clutch
and who will get it? It is obviously tempting for James to go to Miami
to play alongside Wade and Bosh but I think that he should reject that
option not because of Prokhorov's reasoning about "LeBron James'
brand" but because it is not clear how the Heat will fill out their
roster; if James returns to Cleveland the Cavs will once again be top
level championship contenders even if owner Dan Gilbert does not further
upgrade the roster--and there is every reason to believe that the Cavs
will find a way to add some more veteran talent to help James. If James
goes to Miami this will indicate that he believes that three stars can
essentially win a championship by themselves.

1) Cleveland Cavaliers: It has become fashionable in some quarters to
act as if James has had no help in Cleveland but the Cavs had enough
talent to post the league's best record the past two seasons while
ranking among the league leaders in point differential, defensive field
goal percentage and rebounding--clear indications that the team was
well coached and had sufficient depth to execute the coach's game
plan. If James is really concerned about his legacy as a great
player--as opposed to his ability to market himself or become a "global icon"--then he should stay in Cleveland. Even winning "just"
one championship in Cleveland will say a lot about James' talent and
character.

Byron Scott is not necessarily an upgrade over the fired Brown but
Scott is clearly a very good coach who knows how to lead teams to the
NBA Finals: the ironic thing about Scott is that other than his
credentials as an NBA player his resume is eerily similar to Brown's:
the beat writers in their respective cities asserted that their offenses
were largely run by their assistants (John Kuester in Cleveland, Eddie
Jordan in New Jersey), they led teams to the NBA Finals but did not win
and their tenures ended when it seemed like their teams had quit
(Scott's Hornets were blown out by the Nuggets in the 2009 playoffs by
even worse margins than Brown's Cavs lost to the Celtics last
season). Nevertheless, I think that both Brown and Scott have been
wrongly criticized and that Scott is a good enough coach to win a
championship provided that he has a championship caliber roster. If
James remains a Cav then Shaquille O'Neal--one of the few centers who
has the size to guard Dwight Howard one on one--will likely also come
back and the team will have several veteran, playoff tested All-Stars
(James, O'Neal, Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams and possibly even
Zydrunas Ilgauskas). Assuming that Scott maintains the defensive focus
that Brown established the Cavs would once again be a 60-plus win team
that likely would earn homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. In
that scenario, the Cavs should resist the temptation to make wholesale
changes the way that they did in the past few seasons and instead simply
try to develop more chemistry with their current roster; O'Neal and
Jamison hardly had the chance to play together before the Cavs faced the
Celtics in the playoffs.

LeBron James has proven many things:

1) He can post numbers that make "stat gurus" drool all over their spreadsheets.
2) He has a unique combination of athletic talent, basketball skill set
and high level conditioning that enables him to be a dominant performer
throughout the course of the grueling 82 game season.
3) When he feels like it, he can perform at a very high level during postseason play.
4) He has an insatiable desire for attention and praise.
5) He can cause wealthy, famous, accomplished people to figuratively–if not literally–grovel at his feet.

However, LeBron James has not proven one thing that is more important
and more substantive than all of these things put together: he has not
proven that winning a championship is his all-consuming goal. This is
not about whether or not James is capable of being the best player on a
championship team: he clearly possesses all of the necessary athletic
gifts and basketball skills to do so. The unanswered question is whether
or not James is consumed by winning the way that Bill Russell, Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were and the
way that Kobe Bryant is.

LeBron James and the Cavs developed elaborate pre-game dance routines
but we have seen that all of the togetherness that this supposedly
represented proved to be meaningless in terms of winning a championship:
championships are won by teams with serious-minded, focused leaders.
James has had his fun by dominating the airwaves with all of this free
agency hoopla but that was just the "pre-game dance routine" for the
rest of his career: after he makes his announcement on Thursday he must
get down to the hard business of leading a team to a championship. If he
fails to do so then his reputation in the minds of serious,
knowledgeable basketball observers will never match the ranking that he
receives from the "stat gurus."

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the December 2002 issue of Basketball Digest.

Last season Jason Kidd provided an eloquent demonstration of the value of a guard who is an excellent rebounder. He frequently grabbed defensive rebounds and pushed the ball full bore up court, creating open shots for his teammates. His ability to be a one man fast break placed tremendous pressure on opposing defenses and played a large part in transforming the New Jersey Nets from a hapless team into the Eastern Conference Champions.

Kidd is one of 11 guards in pro basketball history who averaged at least 6 rpg in five or more seasons (minimum of 60 games played or 350 rebounds each year). Bob Cousy was the first guard to do this, averaging a career-high 6.9 rpg as a Boston Celtics' rookie in 1950-51, and following that with 6-plus rpg averages in four of the next five years. During this period the fast breaking Celtics were consistently the leading scoring team in the league, but their lack of defensive presence in the paint always proved to be fatal in the playoffs.

Not surprisingly, the end of Cousy's run of 6-plus rpg seasons coincided with the arrival of Bill Russell, who became the second leading rebounder in the history of pro basketball. Cousy never averaged more than 5.5 rpg in a season after Russell joined the Celtics, but Boston won championships in six of the seven years that the two were teammates en route to an unprecedented 11 titles in 13 years. Cousy finished his career with 4786 rebounds (5.2 rpg), an impressive total for a 6-1, 175 pound point guard.

Tom Gola played forward in college and is still the NCAA Division I career leader in total rebounds (2201). In the NBA the versatile Gola switched primarily to the backcourt and averaged at least 6 rpg in eight seasons (1956; 1958-64). In 1958-59 he averaged a career-high 11.1 rpg and narrowly missed becoming the first guard to rank in the top ten in the NBA in rebounding. The 6-6 Gola played in five All-Star games and was a member of the 1956 NBA Champion Philadelphia Warriors. His career average of 8.0 rpg is the best ever by a guard.

Richie Guerin averaged 6 or more rpg for five straight years (1958-62), starting in his second season. In 1960-61 he posted a career high 7.9 rpg. Next season the 6-4 Guerin averaged career bests in points (29.5 ppg) and assists (6.9 apg) in addition to posting his final 6-plus rpg season (6.4 rpg). His rebounding dropped dramatically after that year and he finished his career with a 5.0 rpg average.

In 1961-62 Oscar Robertson became the only player to average a triple double for a season (30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg). He ranked first in the NBA in assists, third in scoring and eighth in rebounding, the only guard to ever crack the top ten in that category; his 12.5 rpg average that season is easily the best ever by a guard. Robertson narrowly missed averaging a triple double in several other seasons and actually averaged a triple double for the first five years of his career (30.3 ppg, 10.6 apg and 10.4 rpg). He averaged 6-plus rpg in each of his ten seasons (1961-70) with the Cincinnati Royals before finishing his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, teaming with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to win the only championship of Robertson's career in 1970-71. Robertson's 7804 rebounds are the most ever by a guard and his 7.5 rpg career average trails only Gola, who had a significantly shorter career. At 6-5, 220 pounds, Robertson combined the size and strength of a forward with the quickness and ball handling of a guard.

Jerry West entered the NBA with Robertson in 1960-61 and averaged at least 6 rpg in each of his first six seasons. Like Robertson, he posted his best rpg average in 1961-62 (7.9 rpg) and he also matched Robertson's 30.8 ppg average that season (West played four fewer games than Robertson and ranked fifth in scoring, which at that time was determined by total points, not average). The 6-2, 185 pound West was significantly smaller than Gola, Guerin and Robertson, the other top rebounding guards of his era, but he finished his career with 5376 rebounds (5.8 rpg).

Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan did not receive much playing time as a Baltimore Bullets' rookie in 1965-66. The Chicago Bulls acquired him in the expansion draft prior to 1966-67 and Sloan averaged at least 6 rpg for the next nine years, along the way earning a reputation as one of the best defensive guards ever. His 7.4 rpg career average ranks behind only Gola and Robertson among guards. Sloan (6-5, 200 pounds) averaged a career best 9.1 rpg in 1966-67 and he averaged over 8 rpg two other times.

Like Sloan, Walt Frazier played sparingly as a rookie before having a breakout second season. Frazier averaged 4.2 rpg in 1967-68 as a New York Knicks' rookie before averaging at least 6 rpg during his next eight seasons with the team. He peaked at 7.3 rpg in the 1973 championship season. Frazier slumped to 3.9 rpg in 1976-77, his last season with the Knicks, and played three subpar seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring. The 6-4, 205 pound Frazier totaled 4830 rebounds (5.9 rpg) in his career.

Magic Johnson made a run at averaging a triple double for a season in 1981-82, his third year in the league. Magic scored 18.6 ppg, ranked second in the league with 9.5 apg and grabbed a career high 9.6 rpg. In the first 12 years of his career he averaged at least 6 rpg 10 times; in 1980-81 he averaged 8.6 rpg but only played in 37 games and in 1985-86 he averaged 5.9 rpg. Magic averaged 5.7 rpg in his brief 32 game comeback in 1995-96 and finished his career with 6559 rebounds, the third highest total for a guard, and a 7.2 rpg average, trailing only Gola, Robertson and Sloan.

Clyde Drexler is the all-time leader for 6-plus rpg seasons among guards, accomplishing this feat 11 times in his 15 year career. The only seasons that he missed the mark were his rookie year (2.9 rpg in 1983-84), his third year (5.6 rpg) and his last year (4.9 rpg); he failed to qualify in 1992-93, when he averaged 6.3 rpg but only played in 49 games due to injuries. Drexler's best average was 7.9 rpg (1988-89) and he only had one other season above 7 rpg but he consistently stayed above 6 rpg for the bulk of his career. Drexler totaled 6687 rebounds (6.1 rpg).

Michael Jordan entered the NBA one year after Drexler and posted similar career rebounding numbers--6175 rebounds (6.2 rpg), including his 2001-02 totals as a swingman for the Washington Wizards. Jordan has averaged 6-plus rpg seven times. His career best average is 8.0 rpg in 1988-89, a year in which he also averaged a career high 8.0 assists and won his third scoring title with a 32.5 ppg average. Injuries limited him to 18 games in his second season and two retirements further restricted his opportunities to add to his total of 6-plus rpg campaigns. In his last two seasons with the Bulls he averaged 5.9 rpg and 5.8 rpg respectively. In his first season with the Wizards, Jordan averaged 5.7 rpg.

Kidd has averaged 6-plus rpg in six of his first eight seasons, including a career high 7.3 rpg in 2001-02. His career average stands at 6.4 rpg entering the 2002-03 season, so it does not seem likely that he will overtake Gola, Robertson, Sloan or Magic in that category. His ability to amass triple doubles makes him the closest player in today's game to Robertson and Magic, although both of those players scored more and shot much better than Kidd does.

Several other outstanding rebounders deserve mention. The best rebounding guard in ABA history was undoubtedly Warren Jabali (formerly Armstrong). Jabali, powerfully built and an exceptional leaper, posted three seasons of 6-plus rpg, including a career-high 10.4 rpg in 1969-70 for the Washington Capitols, a season in which he also averaged 22.8 ppg and 4.3 apg. Coach Al Bianchi used him extensively at forward that season, but a 6-2, 200 pound guard averaging over 10 rpg as a forward simply has to be included on any list of great rebounding guards. Jabali averaged 6.7 rpg in his seven year career.

Lafayette "Fat" Lever of the Denver Nuggets averaged 6-plus rpg for four straight seasons (1987-90) despite being only 6-3, 180 pounds. Amazingly, he exceeded 8.0 rpg in each of those years, including a career-high 9.3 rpg in 1989-90 (plus 18.3 ppg and 6.5 apg ). The next season he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, blew out his knee after only four games and was never the same. He finished his career with a 6.0 rpg average.

Other guards who had at least three 6-plus rpg seasons include Michael Ray Richardson, T.R. Dunn, Darrell Walker and Alvin Robertson. George Gervin had two 6-plus rpg seasons as a small forward and one after shifting to shooting guard. Among active guards, other than Kidd and Jordan only Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady have achieved 6-plus rpg more than once. Both posted career highs in 2001-02: 7.0 rpg for Francis and 7.9 rpg for McGrady. Kobe Bryant averaged a career-high 6.3 rpg in 1999-00 but his averages have dropped the past two seasons (5.9 rpg and 5.5 rpg respectively).

Pro Basketball's Greatest Rebounding Guards

Player

6 rpg

Best season

Career

Career

Career

seasons

rpg average

reb.

gms

rpg

Clyde Drexler

11

7.9 rpg/1989

6687

1086

6.1

Magic Johnson

10

9.6 rpg/1982

6559

906

7.2

Oscar Robertson

10

12.5 rpg/1962

7804

1040

7.5

Jerry Sloan

9

9.1 rpg/1967

5615

755

7.4

Tom Gola

8

11.1 rpg/1959

5617

698

8.0

Walt Frazier

8

7.3 rpg/1973

4830

825

5.9

Michael Jordan

7

8.0 rpg/1989

6175

990

6.2

Jerry West

6

7.9 rpg/1962

5376

932

5.8

Jason Kidd

6

7.3 rpg/2002

3653

573

6.4

Bob Cousy

5

6.9 rpg/1951

4786

924

5.2

Richie Guerin

5

7.9 rpg/1961

4278

848

5.0

Notes: This chart lists all NBA/ABA guards who averaged at least 6 rpg in at least five seasons (minimum 60 games or 350 rebounds in each season).

About Me

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